


Maneki Neko

by Selah



Series: Matteiru Kara [1]
Category: NCIS, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-22 05:44:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13757520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selah/pseuds/Selah
Summary: Spring was special. Spring meant rebirth and new beginnings.





	Maneki Neko

**Author's Note:**

> Colorblind Soulmates AU, meaning everyone sees in B&W until meeting their soulmate(s). Which does not happen in this fic, but will. Eventually.
> 
> The use of 「」is to indicate conversation had in ASL.

Abigail Sciuto ran her thumb over the inside of her wrist, even though that wasn't where her soulmate's words were marked. This was it.

｢ You're sure about this, sweetie? ｣

｢ Completely positive, Mom. I need to do this, it's what God wants. ｣

Her mother's smile was still a bit wary, but they'd had this conversation a dozen times, more, ever since Abby had first gotten her soulmate mark. She knew her mother worried, but even their parish priest had agreed that a tattoo in Japanese strongly supported a path that included spending significant time in Japan. Going to college in Tokyo would be hard, but if Abigail Sciuto was anything, it was a fighter. She would make it work.

｢ If you need anything, you'll let us know, right? ｣

｢ Promise, Mom. ｣

She gave both her parents a final hug, then walked out to her cab. As cliche as it was, this really was the first day of the rest of her life. 

~*~*~

Taking a deep breath, Abby thanked the driver again, then collected her bags and went up to her dorm room. The boxes she'd had shipped ahead were already sitting in the middle of the shared space and she grinned. Perfect.

She was nearly finished assembling the loft kit for her bed when someone knocked on her door.

“Just a minute,” she called out in English before cursing softly and then repeating herself in Japanese. If she could just get that ... piece.... The door opened behind her, but she ignored it to bang the last peg into place.

“Anou....”

“There!” she said, mostly to herself, wiping her palms together and then turning to see who had entered the room. A tiny young woman her own age stood just inside the door, something not unlike fear in her eyes as she clutched the strap of her bag closer. This was probably her new roommate, what was the name? Ku-something... Ku ... Ku ... Kusanagi!

“Are you Kusanagi-san?” she asked in Japanese, hurriedly putting down her mallet and bowing politely. “Hello, nice to meet you. Sorry about the mess, I only just got here about an hour ago. Give me a minute and I'll get this out of your way.”

“Oh, it's ... it's fine, I should have waited another day so you had time to get settled from such a long trip,” her new roommate said, bowing apologetically. “I'll just, um, set these here and get out of your way.”

“No, no, I don't want to chase you off!” Abby said, wringing her hands to keep from grabbing the other teen. After all, this was Kusanagi's room, too.

“No, no, it's fine, I'd just be in the way. I'll just, um, yes, I'll come back later.”

Abby bit her lip and just nodded, watching as the other girl dropped off her luggage and scurried out of the room. She hadn't even gotten her number yet. Well, she would just have to redouble her efforts, make sure that, whenever Kusanagi came back, she was finished enough not to be a bother. A firm nod and she started hauling her mattress up where it belonged. She could do this. And then ... and then, when her roommate came back, maybe she could treat her to dinner to apologize for things? Not that Abby really knew where anything was, but ... well, she could worry about that little detail later.

By the time Kusanagi returned, Abby had her side of the room pretty well set. Loft in place with her favorite bat-themed linens and her stuffed hippo, Bert. Her desk was turned towards the window with her computer in place, her clothes and luggage all tucked away. Even her wall art was carefully hung in place. Perfect. And once again, Kusanagi hesitated at the door, as if she wasn't sure she was in the right place. Abby smiled and bowed, then sat back down under her loft, aware that her height could make her a little intimidating.

“I'm really sorry about before and I thought maybe I could buy us dinner, if that's okay? I, um, don't know where anything is yet, but I thought maybe I could go pick up something while you got settled? If ... if that's okay, that is.”

“Your Japanese is really good, for a gaijin,” Kusanagi blurted, her hands flying up to her mouth even as she started bowing repeatedly and apologizing profusely for her rudeness. Abby needed a second before she started giggling, rocking back on her heels.

“Kusanagi-san, really, it's okay. I mean, I'm sure my accent is horrible, but I've been studying as hard as I could for the last three and a half years just so I could do this.”

“But ... why?” the other girl asked, finally sitting on her own bed across from Abby.

“Because my soulmate's Japanese. Or at least the first words he says to me will be in Japanese,” she said, shrugging a little.

“Eh? How can you possibly know that?”

“My soulmate mark. It's a Catholic thing, I guess, a gift from God to help is find The One. Do you ... how do you know when you've met your soulmate here then?”

“Ah, I don't know from experience, but other people say the colors start on their soulmate and sort of bleed out into the world from that person the first time. Mom says Dad has a special glow to him that no one else does, but that seems to be unique to them? No one else I know has mentioned it anyway. But do you really have words on your skin?”

“Yup. Want to see?” Abby asked. Her new roommate hesitated a moment, the nodded. Grinning, Abby got up and pushed down her jeans enough to show off the neat line of kanji and kana running along her hip bone.

“'It's been a long wait, yeah?' And that's the first thing your soulmate will say to you?”

“Yup,” she said as she pulled her pants up again. Familiar doubt hit her as she sank back down and she bit her lip a moment. “Phrased like that ... that probably means we're not gonna meet for awhile, yeah?”

“That ... or your soulmate is older than you. Or both. I'm sorry.”

“Well, I mean, I knew just coming to Tokyo wasn't going to ... I mean, it's a big country, yeah? Lots of people. And this ... it's not much to go on to try to find him.”

“It's more clue than I've ever had,” Kusanagi replied with a shrug. “At least you know for sure that you'll meet your soulmate. The gods don't make mistakes, ne?”

“That's funny, my little brother said the same thing when I was freaking out about a language I couldn't read the first time it showed up,” Abby said, smiling a little at the memory. “Oh! I was going to go buy dinner while you got settled!”

“Y-you don't have to do that, Sciuto-san,” the other girl demurred.

“Please, call me Abby. And I want to. What should I pick up?”

“Then ... then please call me Miko, Abby-san,” her roommate said with another polite bow. “Um, there's a Makku three streets north of here. Bacon cheeseburger meal, please, with black Coke.”

“Bacon cheeseburger, black Coke, got it,” Abby said, nodding. Her mother would probably be so disappointed that Abby's first meal in Japan was going to be McDonald's, but there would be plenty more meals after this. If this was what her new friend wanted, well, who was she to argue?

~*~*~

Abby drew in a deep breath and smiled. Middle of April in Tokyo meant pale petals all over campus from all the blossoming cherry trees, even if they were past peak season now. Still chilly enough for her to wrap up in a favorite scarf, but not so much that she couldn't enjoy a nice walk in the park. It was really beautiful, even in monochrome, and just the sort of place where she could imagine running into her soulmate. Not that she was expecting that so soon, of course, but it was a nice thought.

She was nearly back to the dorm when a weak mewl caught her attention. She needed a few more to pinpoint the source, startled by the bedraggled little kitten apparently stuck in a storm sewer.

“Oh, hold on, little guy,” she said as she got down on hands and knees. The kitten mewled again when she reached for it, but didn't run away or try to bite her at least. A couple tries and she had it in both hands, a tiny purr buzzing as it tried to press closer. She could feel far too many bones and she bundled the poor thing in her scarf before tucking it into her bag.

“Hang in there, little guy, we'll get you warm,” she murmured, shifting her bag against her chest. For a wonder, the kitten stayed silent as she ducked into a combini to pick up a tin of cat food, some cooked chicken, and some non-dairy milk. Abby just hoped Miko wasn't home; they weren't supposed to have animals in the dorm.

Rushing back to the dorm, Abby sighed in relief that Miko wasn't back yet. She carefully unwrapped the kitten, worried at its small size, but it perked up quickly when she opened the cat food. Still, she worried it would get sick if she let it eat too much, so she only scooped up a small portion onto a plate, then found a couple shallow dishes to offer him both water and milk.

“Abby-san, I'm –.”

“Close the door, close the door!”

Miko startled, then hurried to close the door, setting down her bag as she cautiously entered the room.

“Abby-san? What...?”

But the kitten didn't seem to have even noticed, purring as he ate. Abby glanced up at her roommate, nervously biting her lip.

“Abby-san ... that's a kitten.”

“I know, I know, we're not supposed to have animals, but he was trapped and soaked and cold and pitiful and I couldn't just leave him there to die!” Abby explained in a rush.

“No, of course not,” Miko agreed, sinking to the floor next to her. “But we can't keep him, either. Even if we had a litter box for him, well, that would be a dead give away we were breaking the rules, ne?”

“I know,” Abby sighed. “But I didn't know what else to do.”

“I'm sure there's a shelter or rescue around here somewhere, I'll look one up and we can take him there.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Abby said with another sigh. Of course she had known all along that they couldn't keep him, but it didn't change the part of her that had really hoped....

“He's cute and small, I'm sure he'll be adopted quickly,” Miko said with a reassuring squeeze of her arm. “And next year, when you're out on your own, you can adopt another little guy in need, yeah?”

“I know, I know, but he's just so cute! I miss having a pet, you know?”

“Aa, I know. Come on then, let's take him to the shelter before you get any more attached,” her friend said, smiling gently. Abby hated that her friend was right, tucking the sleepy kitten into her coat this time.

Fate must have been smiling on her: not only was the shelter happy to take the kitten and the opened food, they were looking to hire an intern. It didn't pay much, but it would be enough for her to start, something she could do now, while she kept looking for something more, maybe even something in her intended field.

“Thanks, little buddy, and good luck to you, too,” she said, giving the kitten one last ruffle.

“All right, that settles it. I'm calling Sachiko-chan and we're going out to celebrate,” Miko declared, looping arms with her as they walked out of the shelter.

“I don't actually have the job yet!” Abby protested, though she wasn't really resisting, either.

“It's Friday, it's April, if nothing else, we can celebrate you making it a whole two weeks here in Tokyo now without getting completely lost! It's spring, isn't that reason enough?”

“All right, all right!” Abby conceded with a laugh. Spring certainly sounded like reason enough to her.


End file.
